I have the XT8 and gives the starting aperture for decent viewing. But also enjoy using the portable goto scopes. The XT8I would make perhaps the better choice for you as all in one package, will at least put you in the area for easier locating. Abit pricy but the Celestron 8SE be a more accurate locator. As I have the XT8 went for the 6SE as near half the price.

Enjoy using the Sky Safari + absolutely a beauty at the scope, also alerts me on planets when GRS and Shadow transits on Jupiter, my favored.

I'd get the Z10 over the 8 inch, because of the extra light grasp about half a mag.Forget the object locater. Spend the money you save on better eyepieces for the f5 (f5 has more coma then a f6) and a OIII or UHC filter.A 8 inch isn't any sharper then a 10" unless the 10" is of poor quality. The 10" with it's better resolution will show finer detail on planets.Sam

All things considered, the 10" will show more. And, the object locator does seem a bit gimicky - after all, half the fun is in planning and then actually getting there. It would be nice for you to actually compare the 8" and 10" side-by-side to see how well they fit into your environment. If you have to carry it down 10 flights of stairs, or haul it in a small compact car to get to a dark observing site, these are considerations. If you can leave it setup just inside your sliding glass doors and then need to only move it a few feet to begin your observations, this is also a consideration. I would think that a small scope that gets used regularly would be better than a large scope that never makes it out under the stars.

Will the ES 14mm eyepiece be suitable for the Z8? Is there a better one?

What kind of filters should I invest in? Should I just get a complete set? Are some better than others?

I have Google Sky and SkEye on my android phone. I also have GoSkyWatchP and Planets on my iPad. I would like to get an astronomy program to install on my main PC in the house. Which one is best?

I used a friends 14mm ES 82* in my XT8 last night, i was comparing it to my 16mm Nagler Type 2. performance was very similar. in a 1200mm focal length scope its a good low to medium power eyepiece as it has about a 1 degree true field but considerably more magnification than a plossl of the same true field. a good example is the 25mm plossl is about the same true field but you can see much more detail in the 14/16mm 82 AFOV eyepieces.

on the filters honestly all you really need is a variable polarizing filter for the moon that way you can adjust how bright or dim it is depending on the phase. a UHC filter for nebula viewing at dark sites. light pollution filter possibly for the same purpose but in more light polluted areas. color filters are not all that useful for visual observing in my experience.

on the astronomy program side of things buy skysafari plus for either the android phone or your ipad, what ever device you think you'll use at the telescope more. if you had both android devices you would not have to make this choice because once you buy it on the play store you can install it on as many android devices you have linked to the google account. i have it on both my phone and tablet.

Keep in mind that seeing does not often support high magnifications. When you push power too high under all but really great sky conditions, the image, especially on planets, gets mushy. The 11mm ES would likely be useful many nights, but the single digit eyepieces may just be too potent for most scopes on all but a few pristine occasions. Usually the best observing range for most scopes is from 120 to maybe 160-180x, so you csn calculate what focal length eyepieces would be most useful for your scope by dividing the focal length of various eyepieces into the focal lenght of your scope, which yields magnification.

True, but with a PUSH-TO Dob, you have the option of starhopping or using the DSC's.....I still star hop when I am under skies that are reasonably dark. It is a lot tougher to do with several hundred thousand streelights alone in the city of Mobile Alabama all around me.